Finding the Farm
by TWDFan135
Summary: Sequel to A Family Friend. Daryl/OC. Rated T for language and implied love making. Someone goes missing and the group finds a possible safe haven. But will it be safe for long? Plus, Daryl and Dani's relationship grows stronger, but when something happens to Daryl, Dani has some major issues with a certain someone. Fingers crossed you guys will like it!
1. Chapter 1

After leaving the CDC, Daryl's truck took too much gas so he and Dani had to ride the motorcycle. She held on to Daryl as they lead the survivors down the highway. They camp up on a bunch of abandoned cars. Daryl and Dani rode through the carnage looking for a way through. They came back and Dale asked if there was a way through. Daryl threw his head back from where they came. The RV pushed through the cars until all of a sudden smoke came out of the RV. "I told you we needed a new hose." Dale said.

Dani took a look at the group, or what was left of it at least. Everyone started to look through the cars, trying to find supplies or food. Dale was showing Glenn how to fix the RV, and Shane found a truck full of water jugs. Dale went on top of the RV, taking watch. He looked through his binoculars and looked towards Rick. "What is it?" Rick said as he looked through his scope. Dani tried to get a good look but she couldn't see very far. That's when Rick told everyone to get under a car.

Dani ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. She tried to look for Daryl but Shane pushed her under the car closest to him. Dani shot him a glare and he returned a look that made Dani feel like he could kill her in any second. All around her, Dani saw walker feet shuffling past. She closed her eyes, wishing for it to be over. Dani turned her head and saw Sophia and Carl trapped under different cars. She looked the other way and saw Carol and Lori.

Finally everything was quiet. Dani saw Sophia climb out and heard the girl scream. There were two walkers coming after her. Sophia ran towards the woods and the walkers followed. Rick ran after them. Carol got up and ran towards the barrier but Lori stopped her. Dani slowly walked away, not knowing what to say or do, trying to find Daryl. She found Daryl helping a wounded T-Dog, so she helped Daryl get T-Dog back to the group. Dani tried avoiding T-Dog's arm since he was bleeding everywhere, but the way she was holding him his arm sat right on top of her shoulders.

Once Rick came back, Glenn, Daryl, Shane, and Dani went back with him to try and find Sophia. Rick took them to an old, fallen tree. "I left her right there." Rick said, "I told her to head back to the highway and keep the sun on her left shoulder." Dani started walking around the creek, looking for anything that could help them find Sophia. She spotted something sitting by a bunch of sticks and branches. "Hey guys I found something." She called. Nobody was even paying attention to her. Daryl and Rick were going to keep looking. Dani was about to follow them when Shane grabbed her arm. "Don't you ever touch me again." She snarled as she yanked her arm away.

Rick, Daryl, and Dani were walking through the woods, looking for tracks and anything else. "The tracks are gone." Rick said. "They're faint, but not gone." Daryl replied. "How? I don't see anything." Rick asked. "Do you want a lesson in tracking or to find this girl?" Daryl questioned. Dani held in a laugh. There was a rustling and the three ducked down. From what Dani could see, it was a walker. Rick and Daryl made a plan without even saying anything. As they stood up, Dani tried to follow them. Daryl gestured for Dani to crouch back down.

Apparently, the plan was to distract the walker and kill it. Dani finally decided to come out of her hiding spot to try and find Rick and Daryl. She found them with a mutilated walker and them taking off gut-covered gloves. "Did you find anything?" she asked. "Nope, this one had a woodchuck for lunch." Daryl said. As they made their way back to the highway, Dani wrapped her arm around Daryl's waist, forcing him to put his arm on her shoulders. Rick looked back at them and Daryl just shrugged his shoulders. Dani walked off towards the RV, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shane staring at her.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, the search for Sophia continued. Everyone but Dale and T-Dog went out into the woods searching. The group followed Daryl and Rick on a trail Daryl found. Since Daryl was on "tracking" mode, Dani decided to walk with Glenn. Not that Dani wanted to talk or anything, just that she wanted to walk with someone she was close to. Glenn had always been kind to Dani and she respected him for that. She also didn't want to stand anywhere close to Shane. Shane had started acting really strange and was getting grabby. Dani was in mid-thought when the sound of church bells filled the air.

At first, everyone looked around, trying to pinpoint the direction of the sound. "If they're ringing it could be others." Glenn said. "Or signaling that they found her." Andrea stated. "It could be her ringing them herself." Rick added. "We don't have time for all this guessing. Let's move." Dani said. The group ran towards the direction they thought the ringing could have come from. They came upon a church, but it was lacking what was needed for the bells. "Look, man, I'm tellin' you. It can't be that one. It ain't got no steeple." Shane argued. All of a sudden, Rick broke into a run, forcing the others to run after him. They went up to the church's doors and opened them, finding three walkers. All Dani could think of was the really religious people saying, _Have you accepted our Father and Savior, Jesus Christ?_

Before Dani could do anything, Rick, Shane, and Daryl killed all three of the walkers. Once the damage was done, Dani heard bells again. Everyone ran outside, wondering where the noise came from. They went around the side and saw speakers. Daryl opened a little box underneath and pressed a button. "It was on a timer." he said. Dani went back inside and sat in one of the pews. She took out the rubber band in her hair so she could fix it. She shook her head so the hair spread out. Shane stared at Dani and she swore he licked his lips as he walked outside. As she fixed her hair, she looked to Daryl and he was staring after Shane.

After they left the church, the group decided to split up. Daryl was taking the others back to the highway, while Shane, Rick, and Carl would keep looking. Dani was glad they were heading back, her feet ached and she was getting a little hungry. Sure, she wanted to help find Sophia, but with Shane acting the way he was, Dani did _not_ want to take any chances. As the two groups went their separate ways, Dani trailed closely behind her group. She started walking backwards, keeping watch and making sure she didn't bump into Andrea, who looked upset already. Dani didn't tell Andrea about the gun Dani had under her belt.

Dani heard a rustling and looked in its direction. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw it was a deer passing through. _It's been a while since I've actually stopped long enough to watch nature's beauty. _Dani thought as she kept walking. Walking backwards, Dani didn't see the tree root and tripped, falling on her butt. The group stopped and looked back. Dani was blushing furiously as she stood up, wiped the dirt off her pants, and walked quickly to the front. Daryl looked over at her with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. Dani could feel the heat radiating off of her face. _If I stay like this forever, I could warm everyone all winter._ Dani scolded herself. That's when a gunshot went off.


	3. Chapter 3

**I know this one's a little shorter, but since Dani's with Daryl and not Rick, not much is gonna happen. Thanks!**

Everyone looked back towards the gunshot. "Let's keep moving." Daryl said. Dani moved ever so slowly closer to Daryl. She knew that nothing bad was going to happen, but she still felt a little safer closer to him. Dani stopped for minute to take a break. She was all sweaty and her feet were killing her. "You alright?" Daryl asked. "Yeah go on I'll catch up." Dani said. She put her hands on her knees and took a couple deep breaths. "OK, I'm ready guys." Dani said to no one. They'd actually left her.

Dani had to hold in a scream. She trudged through the woods trying to find her group. She followed the footprints they had left. She finally caught up to them, but when she did they pointed their weapons in her face. Once they realized it wasn't a walker, everyone looked embarrassed. Dani glared at Daryl who said, "You said we could go on." _He's right I did._ Dani thought. "Yeah, well, you didn't have to walk so fast." She said, coming up with an excuse. Daryl rolled his eyes and kept walking. She held in another scream. She did not want Daryl to be mad at her.

"How much farther?" Andrea complained. "About three yards as the crow flies." Daryl answered. This time, Dani was the one to roll her eyes. Andrea was starting to get on her nerves. "Too bad we're not crows." Andrea replied sarcastically. Dani wasn't even paying attention when Andrea walked in a different direction. She was admiring one of her knives as she was walking. Dani looked up to see Carol and Lori staring at her. She smiled nervously and slowly put the knife away. That's when she heard Andrea's screams.

Everyone ran towards her, trying to find her at the same time. Dani saw a girl on a horse with a bat. Andrea was lying on the ground, a walker on the other side. "Lori Grimes? Which one of you is Lori Grimes?" the girl asked. Lori spoke up. "I need you to come with me. There's been an accident, Carl's been shot." She explained. As Lori got up on the horse, Daryl said, "Whoa, whoa. We don't know this girl!" The girl gave the group directions on how to get to her house, and then left with Lori. The walker the girl hit started moaning and sat up. "Shut up." Daryl said as he shot it with an arrow.


	4. Chapter 4

Back at camp, Dani sat at the RV table across from Andrea. Daryl was lying on the floor, trying to sleep. But nobody could sleep because of Carol's weeping. Dani lay down on the bench she was sitting on so she could look at Daryl. Andrea was still trying to clean or fix a gun, the same gun which almost got her killed. Daryl sat up and looked around.

"What's the matter?" Dani whispered.

"I'm gonna go look some more." He told Dani.

"I'm coming, too." Andrea said. Dani glared at Andrea from the corner of her eye.

As Dani sat up, Daryl kissed her forehead and said, "I'll be right back."

Since Dani couldn't sleep, she decided to go and talk to Dale. T-Dog and Glenn went to the farm Lori, Rick, Shane, and Carl were at. She climbed the ladder of the RV, looking back at the moon.

"Hey Dale." Dani said, as she wrapped the small blanket around her body.

"Good evening, Dani. Anything I can help you with?" Dale asked.

"No, I'm just a little worried about Daryl." She said.

Dale smiled, "Oh, I wouldn't worry about him. He's as tough as nails."

Dani smiled, thinking about Daryl. "You're right, he is."

Dani noticed that Dale had a box of cigarettes in his pocket. He took them out and smelled them. Dani raised an eyebrow when he looked back at her.

"I don't smoke." Dale said as he threw his hands up, jokingly. Dani nodded her head and smiled. Carol came up on top of the RV a couple minutes later.

"What's wrong can't sleep?" Dani asked.

"No. I just wanted to stay up until they came back." Carol said.

"I'll be right back. I have to go do something. Will one of you keep watch?" Dale asked.

"Sure." Dani said as she took the rifle Dale handed to her.

Dani stood up when she saw two lights shining through the trees. She sat back down when she realized it was Daryl and Andrea. As the two got to the RV, Dani started to climb down. She gave Daryl a hug and a kiss and went back inside the RV. She overheard Dale give Andrea her gun back. From where she was sitting, she could see that Daryl was feeling a little uncomfortable. He walked into the RV and sat his crossbow down. Daryl sat down next to Dani and she leaned her head on his shoulder. She ran her fingers through his hair; something she knew he loved. Daryl looked around and kissed Dani.

Daryl and Dani quickly stopped what they were doing when they heard footsteps. Dale, Andrea, and Carol came back in. Daryl offered to take watch.

"I'll come too." Dani said. "You take one side and I'll take the other." Daryl nodded his head and walked outside. Dani followed and climbed the ladder. Once they were sure no one could see them, they continued what they were doing in the RV.

Daryl had climbed on top of Dani while they were making out. Her hands had just so happened to run under his shirt and she felt the scars. Daryl stopped kissing Dani and looked at her.

"I don't care about your scars." Dani said. "I love you for who you are. Now, don't ruin the moment like last time." She added, remembering when she hit her head. Daryl smirked and continued kissing Dani. He began to kiss and gently bite her neck. Daryl started to go lower when Dani stopped him.

"They'll hear us." Dani whispered as she looked towards the direction of the door. Daryl sighed and sat up. He climbed down the ladder and Dani followed. Daryl opened the door and looked inside, everyone was asleep. He looked back at Dani and gave thumbs up. She walked around, trying to find a safe place. She pointed behind a couple of cars, and Daryl nodded. They soon began to finish what they started.

Dani woke up back in the RV. She looked around, finding nobody. She walked out and saw everyone getting ready to head to the farm. Dani saw Daryl tossing medicine at Dale. He also through a dirty rag at Dale, too. Once the group was ready, Daryl started his motorcycle. Dani quickly hopped on the back of it, eager to ride. Daryl looked back at Dani and pulled off, leading the group to the Greene's home.


	5. Chapter 5

Once they got to the farm, the group met the Greene's. There was Hershel, his daughters Maggie and Beth, Beth's boyfriend Jimmy, and Patricia. Dani learned that she was the wife of Otis, a man who sacrificed himself to save Carl. After the little meet-n'-greet, there was a funeral for Otis. Patricia wanted Shane to say something, since he was the one to share Otis' last moments. Dani noticed that Shane was having trouble finding words to say, but a minute later, he was practically preaching to the group. Dani quickly looked away when Shane's eyes moved onto her.

Since Shane's ankle was hurt and Rick was weak from donating blood, Daryl decided to look for Sophia some more. Dani wanted to come too, but Daryl told her to stay. She put on a fake pouty face and Daryl rolled his eyes and kissed Dani. Dani watched Daryl walk into the woods then she went to her and Daryl's tent. She was going to try and get some sleep. She was sleeping when Daryl came back. He put his hand over Dani's eyes and kissed her. She moved Daryl's hand away from her eyes and let out a muffled scream.

Dani pushed Shane off of her and ran out of her tent.

"What is wrong with you, Shane?" Dani cried.

"Ain't nothin' wrong with me, girl." Shane said. "The only thing wrong with this situation right here is that you weren't in my tent." Dani scoffed and walked away. After searching for Daryl, she realized he wasn't back yet. But when he did get back, Shane was going to go through hell. _Why wait?_ Dani thought as she walked back to Shane and gave him a hard punch to the jaw.

Once Daryl came back Dani tried telling him what Shane did, but he was too busy telling the group his find. Apparently h e found an abandoned house that had a pantry in which he believed Sophia camped out in.

"Anybody could have camped out in there" Shane said as he rubbed his jaw. Dani jeered at Shane.

"They could only be about, yay high." Daryl pointed out, putting his hand out by his waist. Dani noticed something white sticking out of Daryl's pocket but didn't say anything. She questioned about the strange object a little while later.

"Oh that's… sweet." Dani said. Daryl told her that it was a Cherokee rose and he was going to give it to Carol, and he believed that it was a sign Sophia was still alive. Dani went back in her tent, making sure Shane hadn't followed her. This time it was actually Daryl who came in. He was holding the red rag from his back pocket. She sighed and he asked what was wrong. When she told him, Daryl threw down the rag and stormed out of the tent.

Dani sat with a smug grin on her face until she realized something. If Daryl fought Shane, then that could get the group kicked out. Dani ran out and put her hands out, trying to stop Daryl, but he kept pushing forward. Dani's heels were dragging by now.

"Stop, Daryl. If you do something to him, we could get kicked out. Please, stop." Dani pleaded. Daryl saw that Dani had a worried look on her face and he stopped. He put his hands on her shoulders, and then pulled her in for a hug.

Back at the tent, Daryl asked Dani if Shane did anything else.

"No, all he did was kiss me. He put his hand over my eyes so I couldn't see him, but then I moved it away and when I realized who it was I pushed him off of me. But don't worry I gave him a good punch to the face." Dani said. Daryl rubbed his chin, thinking.

"Well, don' chu worry cause he'll get what's comin' to him, real soon." Daryl said. Dani smiled devilishly and grabbed Daryl's face, kissing him.

"Hey, hey. Don't get too comfortable with me yet. I'm goin' out again tomorrow to look some more. I'm gonna borrow a horse." Daryl said, moving Dani's hands off of him.

"Well, that's tomorrow and this is tonight." Dani said, climbing on top of Daryl.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Dani stretched and rolled over, smiling as she put her arm on Daryl's bare chest. He had just put his arm around Dani when he quickly sat up, making Dani fall to the ground. Daryl quickly got dressed and walked to where the group was making a plan. Dani stuck her head out of the tent watching them. She got dressed and walked out, too, avoiding eye contact with Shane. She'd just heard Dale say something about a chupacabra. Jimmy laughed when Dale told everyone about the first night.

"What are you braying at, Jack Ass?" Daryl asked, clearly agitated nobody believed him.

"You believe in a blood-sucking dog?" Rick asked.

"You believe in the dead walkin' around?" Daryl replied.

Once Daryl was gone (again), Dani decided to talk with Lori.

"Carol and I were thinking that we should make dinner for Hershel and his family. To kind of repay them for letting us stay here, you know?" Lori told Dani.

"I think that's a great idea. But I should let you know, I'm not much of a cook." Dani said.

"Don't worry. You can help wash and skin the potatoes." Lori reassured her. Dani smiled and walked over to the house.

Dani was talking with Glenn and Maggie when she noticed the guitar in Glenn's hand.

"Hey Glenn, could I, uh, see that there guitar for a second?" Dani asked.

"Sure. You know how to play?" Glenn asked handing her the guitar. She started playing a song she was sure they would know. _Strum, strum, pat. Strum, strum, pat. _Dani saw the smiles spread across Glenn and Maggie's faces.

"Buddy you're a boy make a big noise, playin' in the street you're gonna be a big man some day. You got mud on yo face, ya big disgrace, kickin' your can all over the place." Dani sang, letting Glenn and Maggie sing the chorus.

Dani finished the song and was laughing with Glenn and Maggie when she heard Andrea yell, "Walker." Dani ran towards the field where she could see something stumble out of the forest. She grabbed her bat and ran towards the lone walker. Along beside her was Rick, T-Dog, Glenn, and Shane. Rick told her to stay back and she did as she was told. Tears started pouring out of Dani's eyes because the walker standing in front of her was none other than Daryl. She tried to run to him but Glenn held her back. Rick pointed his gun at Daryl's head.

"That's the third time you pointed that gun at my head. Are you gonna pull the trigger or what?" Daryl said just before he was shot.

Dani looked back and saw that Andrea shot the bullet. Rage boiled in Dani's veins, but she couldn't worry about it then. Daryl was lying unconscious in the grass. Rick and Shane pulled him up and carried him to the house.

"Why is he wearing ears?" Glenn asked, freaking out.

"Let's not talk about that." Rick said as he yanked off the necklace and handed it to Dani. She put the necklace in her back pocket and followed the guys. As they passed the RV, Dani glared at Andrea. _If looks could kill._ Dani thought to herself.

As Dani was washing potatoes, she couldn't stop thinking about Daryl. Hershel was still upstairs taking care of him. She looked out the window, out on top of the RV, the rifle that shot Daryl, the rifle that belonged to Dani. _She used my gun!?_ Dani thought. As she was mentally fighting Andrea, Dani vigorously scrubbed the potatoes.

"Thank you for washing the potatoes, but I think we can handle it from here." Lori said taking away the potatoes. Dani nervously smiled and walked away.

Dani went upstairs, taking the guitar with her. She stood outside of the room until Hershel came out.

"He's still a little woozy, so don't expect much coming from him." Hershel told her. Dani nodded and went inside. She took one look at him and sat in the chair next to the bed. She looked at the bandage on his head and the one on his side.

"Get an eyeful yet, Sunshine?" Daryl asked. That gave Dani an idea. She picked up the guitar and began to play "You Are My Sunshine."


	7. Chapter 7

About an hour later, Carol came in with a tray full of food. Daryl quickly covered up so she wouldn't see the scars on his back.

"Thank you for what you did today. You did more for her today then her daddy did her whole life." Carol said. She leaned over and kissed Daryl on the head, which caused him to flinch. Dani watched the two with catlike eyes. Carol looked up and saw Dani sitting in the chair.

"Oh you nearly scared me. Dinner's ready, do you wanna come down and join us?" Carol asked. Dani kindly declined the offer and sat with Daryl. Once Carol left Dani looked at the plate of food that had chicken, potatoes, and green beans. Her stomach growled.

"Go ahead, have some if you want. I ain't ready to eat yet, anyway." Daryl said as if reading Dani's mind.

Dani lay down in the bed with Daryl. He'd fallen asleep and she was rubbing his head, careful not to touch the bandage. She kissed his forehead and smiled. It was like they traded places. Dani had rolled over so she faced the chair she once sat in. When she tried to get up, she realized he had put his arm around her waist. Dani smiled and turned to face Daryl. He had a smirk plastered on his face.

"You bastard." Dani joked. Daryl opened his eyes and started kissing Dani.

The next morning, Dani woke up before Daryl. She noticed someone came in and put a blanket over her and Daryl. She got out of bed and walked over to the window. It was a beautiful day and she believed, no decided, Daryl needed the fresh air.

"Come on, Sleepy Head." Dani said as she woke Daryl up. Daryl mumbled something inconceivable and pulled the blanket over his head. Dani let out an annoyed sigh and yanked the blanket off the bed.

"Alright, alright. I'm up." Daryl said as he got dressed.

Dani rolled her eyes while Daryl was trying to get dressed. She climbed on the bed and took the shirt from Daryl. She helped him put the shirt on then took the bandage off of his head.

"You're welcome." Dani said before Daryl could say anything.

"Let me thank you properly." Daryl said with a sly look on his face as he pulled Dani onto his lap. Dani rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"You know you can't stay cooped up in here all day. Let's go outside and then _maybe _you canthank me." Dani said with a smirk.

Once Dani helped Daryl downstairs, Dale held the screen door open for them.

"I told you. Tough as nails." Dale said to Dani as she passed. She smiled and led Daryl to his tent. Dani helped Daryl lie down so he could rest. Once he was situated, he curled his finger at Dani, telling her to come closer. Dani leaned in so he could talk to her, but when she was close he raised up a little to kiss her. When they were done Dani sat up.

"I ain't complaining, but you've been a little Horny Pants for almost a week. What's up with you?" Dani asked.

"Tryna let Shane know what belongs to me." Daryl answered. Dani raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips. When he realized the error in his words, Daryl tried to quickly recover.

"I mean, uh, that you're my girl." Daryl said. Dani rolled her hands telling Daryl to go on.

"And that you're beautiful and smart and could totally kick ass if it came to it." He added quickly. Dani nodded her head and left the tent. She passed Andrea and her lip curled up like a dog.

Dani was sitting by a tree and stabbing it, looking off into space. But when Andrea came by she looked at her and stabbed the tree with greater force. Andrea had a look of confusion mixed with worry on her face as she walked away. Dani realized the guitar was still up in the room so she ran to get it. As she was running she bumped into Glenn.

"Ahh!" Glenn yelped. Dani raised an eyebrow.

"Are you OK, Glenn?" she asked. He quickly nodded and scurried away like a mouse.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning everyone was sitting outside for breakfast. Carol had made some eggs and sausage. Dani pulled a chair up next to Daryl, who was recovering rather quickly. Glenn walked up to the front so everyone could see him. He looked back towards the house then towards Dale. He looked really nervous. Glenn swallowed and by now everyone was staring at him.

"There's walkers in the barn." He spat out.

Everyone dropped their plates and headed towards the barn. As the group stood a couple feet away from the barn doors, Shane crept closer and looked through one of the cracks. Dani heard something like a hiss and Shane jumped back. Shane said that the group should either clear out the barn or leave.

"We can't leave yet. We haven't found Sophia yet." Carol cried.

"Carol, face it, she's long gone." Shane prompted.

Daryl spoke up saying that he found her doll.

"That's the thing, Daryl. It's just a doll!" Shane argued.

"You don't know the hell you're talkin' 'bout!" Daryl yelled. He threw down his rag and lunged at Shane. Everyone tried to separate the two and when they did, Dani stood in front of Daryl, glaring at Shane. All the yelling and arguing riled up the walkers and they started pushing on the doors. Luckily, the doors were locked and somewhat barricaded. Daryl scoffed and walked away.

Since there was no use in trying to calm Daryl down this time, Dani went into one of the stalls to brush one of the horses. She grabbed a brush and started to brush a dark brown horse, since the light brown one looked a little jumpy.

"Hey girl. There, there. Don't be scared." Dani cooed as she brushed the horse. She grabbed some hay and fed it to the horse. Dani didn't hear the other voices while she was brushing.

Daryl had come in to get one of the horses so he could search some more. Carol came in insisting that he just stopped looking. Dani had worked her way to the other side of the horse so they didn't see her. Daryl sounded angered when Carol said to stop looking. Dani looked around the side and saw that he threw a saddle but strained himself. Carol tried to help him but he pushed her away.

"Just leave me be! Stupid bitch." Daryl grumbled as he stormed off.

Once Dani was sure Carol was gone, she quietly walked out of the stall. She looked around and picked up the saddle Daryl threw. She walked out and went to sit by the barn. Dani sat on a side where nobody could see her. She kept quiet because she heard Shane and Rick coming closer. They were still arguing about clearing the barn. Their voices were overlapping so Dani couldn't really hear what they said. One thing she did hear was that Lori was pregnant.

All was quiet afterwards so Dani tried to sneak away. She didn't see Shane, but Shane most definitely saw her. Dani stood up and was wiping off her pants when she saw another shadow on the ground. She felt a hand go in her back pocket and a knife on her throat.

"What's this in yer pocket, girlie?" Shane whispered in her ear. He pulled out the ear necklace and waved in Dani's face.

"Keep yer voice down an I won't hurt ya." Shane said as he pulled her back, towards the side of the barn.

"Please. Don't do this Shane." Dani pleaded. Shane was too busy kissing Dani's neck to hear. Tears were streaming down Dani's cheeks as she thought of what Shane would try to do to her.

"Take yer shirt off." He growled in her ear. She did as she was told, fearing what he would have done if she didn't. He turned her to face him, and then he started kissing her neck again, this time going down towards her chest. An arrow flew by and hit the side of the barn.


	9. Chapter 9

**Yes, **_**another**_** short one, but I do believe you'll still like it! Comment/Review whatever needs to be fixed!**

Shane stopped what he was doing and looked where the arrow had landed; right next his head. Dani looked back and saw Daryl running towards them. She shoved Shane back and grabbed her shirt. Once Shane realized what was happening, he ran off behind the barn and back towards the group. Dani put her shirt back on and fell to the ground, sobbing. Daryl pulled his arrow out from the side of the barn and held Dani as she cried. He stroked her hair and kept telling her everything was going to be OK.

Dani quickly wiped away her tears and headed back to her tent. Daryl followed her and sat with her for a little while trying to comfort her.

"I'll be right back." Daryl said. He was going to find Rick and tell him about Shane. But Rick was nowhere to be found. Daryl called Dani to come out for a little bit and she reluctantly agreed. They saw Shane walk out of the woods, followed by Dale. Shane was carrying the bag of guns.

A couple minutes later, Rick, Hershel, and Jimmy walked out of the woods, accompanied by two walkers. They were headed down the pathway to the barn when Shane was running after them. The whole group had come to see what Shane was yelling about.

"Y'all see what they're holdin'?" Shane yelled. Rick and Hershel were still trying to get to the barn, but Shane kept walking in front of them. Everyone was arguing about the walkers and it caused the other ones in the barn to start banging on the doors again. Shane shot four times at the walker Hershel was holding's chest.

"Why is she still comin' Hershel?" Shane prompted.

"Brother, stop!" Rick yelled.

"You're right. This does need to stop." Shane said as he walked up to the walker and shot it in the head. The female walker fell to the ground and Hershel dropped to his knees. Shane grabbed a pickaxe and broke the chains off of the door. Walkers poured out of the barn and Andrea, Shane, Glenn, Daryl, and T-Dog shoot at them.

After all the walkers were down, everyone started to head back to camp. But then they heard a faint growl and turned around. A small, child-like walker came out. It put its arms up to shield its eyes from the sun. It had a blue shirt and khaki capris on.

"Sophia!" Carol screamed as she ran towards the once little girl. Daryl held Carol back and tried to comfort her. What once was Sophia made its way towards Rick who stepped forward. When she was at a safe distance, Rick shot her in the head, killing her instantly.


	10. Chapter 10

Everyone stood there, shocked at what just happened. Beth ran to one of the bodies, crying. She held on to, Dani assumed, her mother. It all of a sudden came back to life and tried to attack Beth. Rick, T-Dog, and Shane pulled Beth away and put the walker down. Beth was crying while Hershel and Maggie held her. Shane was arguing with Hershel, saying that Hershel knew Sophia was in the barn.

They got to the house and Hershel said he wanted the group off his land. Daryl scoffed and went back to his tent. Dani followed behind him. He quickly started packing their things.

"What do you think you're doing? I'm sure Rick will talk him into letting us stay." Dani told him.

"I'm not doing _that_." Daryl replied. "I'm tryin' to get as far away as I can from this group."

"So where are we gonna move all this?" Dani asked, indicating all of their items. Daryl pointed to an area off near the woods.

Dani helped Daryl move their stuff; she'd question his reasons later. They'd just finished unpacking their stuffwhen Daryl said he was going to go look for some sticks to make new bolts. Dani said she was going too and she grabbed her knives and rifle. Daryl raised an eyebrow and walked into the woods, with Dani at his heels. He looked behind him and Dani waved her hand. He rolled his eyes, but Dani saw the small smile he was trying to hide.

Daryl and Dani came across a clearing that had two paths.

"You go down that way, and I'll go down this way." Daryl said. Dani nodded her head and started walking down the trail. She was thinking about what happened that day. They had a small service for Hershel's wife and stepson and Sophia. Carol didn't come because she said that Sophia was dead a long time ago. Dani didn't notice the walker shuffling after her.

Dani felt something pull her hair so she kicked her foot backwards, knocking whatever following her off balance. She whipped around and saw the walker standing a couple feet from her. She grabbed her rifle and hit it in the head with the butt. Dani didn't stop hitting the walker until its head was caved in. She heard someone give an impressed whistle. Dani turned around and saw Daryl.

"C'mon, my brave warrior. I got plenty a sticks." He said throwing his head back.

When they got back to their tent, Dani said she was going to lie down and get some rest. Daryl nodded his head and started sharpening some of the sticks. Dani was only asleep for a couple of minutes when she heard a woman's voice call Daryl selfish. She crawled towards the window of the tent and watched Daryl argue with Lori and tell her what he had to go through during his search for Sophia. Dani put her hand to her mouth when she heard the details.

"I'm done looking for people." He said, ending the conversation.

"What the hell was that?" Dani asked, coming out of the tent. Daryl looked at her then quickly looked towards the ground, saying nothing. Dani sighed and took the new bolts and put them in Daryl's quiver. She sat down and looked at Daryl. He kept looking towards her then back towards the ground, trying to avoid eye contact. Dani stood up and rubbed Daryl's hair, kissed his head, and went back in the tent.

Dani had just taken her shirt off when Daryl walked in and quickly covered his eyes.

"Aw, ya shoulda told me you was changin'!" he complained. "Are ya decent yet?" Dani laughed and put a clean shirt on.

"You'd think since we've been sleeping with each other you'd be perfectly fine seeing me in my bra!" she joked.

"You'd think." Daryl replied with a hint of sarcasm. "Let's go get dinner, I'm hungry." Dani nodded her head and walked towards the house. Daryl stopped her and pointed to the woods. Dani sighed heavily.


	11. Chapter 11

When Dani and Daryl came back, the sun was going down. They were talking about what they were going to do about Shane.

"Should we tell Rick?" Dani asked. "Cause it seems like he trusts Shane more than anybody else."

"You seen what's been happening between those two? Shane's given everyone plenty of reasons not to trust him. We're tellin' Rick." Daryl said, ending that conversation. Dani nodded and sat the squirrels she was holding on a rock. She walked back into the woods.

"Where ya goin'?" Daryl asked.

"Gotta pee, be right back." Dani replied.

When Dani came back, she saw Daryl sitting by a fire, poking at it, and Carol walking away.

"What was she doin' here?" Dani asked.

"Came up here askin' me to go inta town and get Rick, Glenn, and Hershel. Like I said, I'm done lookin' for people." Daryl said. Dani sat down next to him and started skinning some of the squirrels.

Daryl shook his head and wrapped his arms around Dani's, showing her how to cut the squirrel. Dani turned her head, smiling at him. She kissed Daryl, slowly slipping her tongue into his mouth. He let go of her arms and held her face as she turned her body to face him.

Dani smiled against Daryl's lips as he tried to take out her hair, fumbling with the rubber band. She stopped kissing him and took out her hair herself. Daryl looked embarrassed because he couldn't do it and Dani held his face and stroked his chin with her thumb. They started kissing again and Dani had just started unbuttoning Daryl's shirt when she saw someone in the distance walking towards them. Dani sighed and went back in their tent, figuring it was Carol coming to talk to Daryl. She was right. After a while, Daryl was yelling that Sophia wasn't his problem. He scoffed and walked into the tent.

Dani sighed and lay down. Daryl lay down next to her and held her.

"We'll tell Rick tomorrow, alright?" Daryl said. Dani nodded her head and put it on Daryl's chest, listening to his heartbeat. Daryl kissed Dani's head and closed his eyes. Tears slowly trailed down Dani's cheeks as she silently sobbed. And the worst part about it? Dani didn't even know why she was crying.

Dani woke up to the smell of cooking squirrel. She climbed out the tent and walked over to Daryl. She stood behind him and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Don't forget we have to tell Rick about Shane." Daryl reminded her.

"Don't remind me." Dani replied. She sat down and started to eat some of the finished squirrel. When they were finished, Dani stood up and started walking back towards the house, with Daryl right behind her.

Dani walked up to Rick and tapped his shoulder. He turned around and smiled when he saw who it was.

"Rick, there's, uh, something we need to tell ya." Daryl started. "Shane, he, uh…"  
"He tried to rape me." Dani finished. Rick's smile quickly faded as the news sank in.

"I-I'll talk to him. You do anything yet?" he asked.

"No. It happened just after you two were talkin' by the barn. And I heard what you said abut Lori." Dani admitted. Rick looked towards the ground for a couple seconds. Then he looked up, nodded, and walked away.

Dani and Daryl exchanged looks.

"Who the hell is that?" T-Dog asked, pointing to the car. Rick, Glenn, and Hershel had just gotten back from town.

"That's Randall." Glenn answered. Dani looked closer and although he was wearing a blindfold, Randall looked really familiar. Daryl noticed the look of recognition on Dani's face and looked back between the kid and her. Dani looked at Daryl and pulled him to the side.

"That boy over there is my ex." Dani explained. Daryl rubbed his head and sighed.

"We couldn't just leave him behind. He would've bled out, if he lived that long." Rick explained. Hershel came downstairs filling everyone in on his condition. "Once he's healed, we'll give him a canteen and send him on his way." Rick added. Shane started arguing saying that people were going to come looking for him. Dani rolled her eyes._ There goes Shane again. Starting shit like usual._ Dani thought. Carol tried walking up on Daryl, and he quickly walked outside. Dani let out an annoyed sigh and walked out.

_Carol needs to back off from _my_ man or she will get laid out. And if Shane does anything else I'll…_ Dani was trying to rip the rag she was holding while she was in mid-thought.

"Simmer down, now, darlin'." Daryl said. "Don't need you rippin' my good rag." Dani gave him a crooked smile and threw the rag at him.

"Now, about this Randall…" he started.


	12. Chapter 12

Dani had a short conversation about her and Randall's love life. Daryl sat back and listened, not interrupting or complaining. Once she was finished, they both walked out of the tent. Dani said she was going to go talk to Randall.

"Shane and Rick took him out this morning." Daryl said raising an eyebrow. Dani rolled her eyes, knowing what Daryl was thinking. Dani went inside to check on Beth, who went into a catatonic state a little after Hershel left. She was lying in bed, her eyes staring into space. Dani rubbed her hair and walked back downstairs.

Dani sat down on one of the couches and looked around. The house reminded her of her grandparent's house. Lori came back down with Beth's still full food tray. She quickly went back upstairs and came back with a knife. Dani bit the inside of her cheek when she realized what Beth was trying to do. Dani walked outside and sat on the steps. Although the sun was shining, she still felt a few cold chills here and there. Dani wished she remembered her suitcase back in Atlanta.

Dani went back to her tent and started searching through Daryl's stuff. She found a shirt that _didn't _have the sleeves cut off and took off her own.

"God dammit. Again?" Daryl said, this time just walking in and sitting down on the ground. Dani put on the other shirt and rolled the sleeves up to her elbow. It was a red plaid shirt that fit her pretty well. Daryl gave a cat call and smirked. Dani rolled her eyes and kissed Daryl. They began to take each other's clothes off.

The next morning, Dani woke up alone. She remembered Daryl said something about having a "chat" with Randall. She lay there for a while longer. The blanket kept her warm and it smelled like Daryl. Dirt, backwoods, and some kind of cheap cologne is what Daryl smelled like and Dani loved it. She got dressed and left the tent. Dani made her way towards the rest of the group.

Dani was talking with the others when Daryl walked back to them. She noticed the blood on his knuckles. He was telling the group what he found out.

"He's got a group of about thirty men, heavy artillery, and they ain't looking to make friends. They roll through here our boys are dead. Our women'll wish they'd be." Daryl said. Carol, not minding her own business as usual, asked what he did. "I had a little chat." He replied.

Rick decided that Randall had to be killed. Even if he was her ex, Dani couldn't help but feel bad about Randall. Daryl and Dani walked back to their tent. Daryl was getting ready to go hunting when Dale came by trying to talk them into letting Randall live.

"Didn't peg you for a desperate sumbitch." Daryl said after listening to Dale's side of the story. Dani overheard Daryl say how he thought the group felt about his opinion. She felt shocked, concerned, and confused. Dani would talk to him about it later.

Dani decided to go into the house, waiting for the meeting. She was going to side with Dale because she believed that Randall shouldn't be killed for association with that kind of group. Dani paced back and forth as the group slowly trickled in. She stood by the door next Daryl. Dani was waiting for Rick to say if anyone thought they should spare Randall, and when he did, she was ready.

"It's a small group, I'll tell ya that." Dale said. "Maybe just me and Glenn."

"And me." Dani said. "I don't think we should kill him." After that the shit pretty much hit the fan. People were jumping from side to side but eventually they all decided to kill Randall. Except for Dani, Andrea, and Dale

It was decided that Randall was going to be shot in the barn that night. Rick, Daryl, and Shane were going to do it. Dani knew it was going to be hella awkward; with Randall being her ex, Daryl being her boyfriend, and Shane trying to rape her. She sat in the RV for a while, trying to wrap her mind around what was going on in that barn. She looked out the window and saw them taking Randall back to the shed. Dani walked out and heard Rick say that they were keeping Randall in custody for now. Andrea said she was going to go find Dale. That's when Dale's screams filled the air.


	13. Chapter 13

Dani ran as fast as she could after Daryl, who was running towards Dale, too. She saw Dale being attacked by a walker and Daryl trucked the walker off of him. He waved his hands signaling everyone where they were. Dani threw up away from them because the walker had ripped open Dale's stomach. Everyone got there and Rick was yelling for Hershel, but Dani knew there was nothing Hershel could do. The group was crying and Rick pointed a gun at Dale's head. When he hesitated, Daryl took the gun.

"Sorry, brother." Daryl said as he pulled the trigger.

Dani cried and cried that night while Daryl held her. Her breaths eventually evened out and she was asleep within minutes. The next morning there was a funeral for Dale. Daryl went out with T-Dog, Andrea, and Shane to clear out walkers closest to them so there weren't any more incidents. When they got back Hershel was moving everyone into the house. Dani went back her tent and started packing their stuff. She opened the side bag on Daryl's motorcycle and noticed something was missing. Dani shrugged her shoulders and continued packing their things.

Daryl was reinforcing the walls on the shed Randall was in so Dani had to find a good spot for their stuff. She put their stuff in a corner of the living room. The living room looked packed already and Dani couldn't decide where they'd sleep. Hershel walked up to her and said she could sleep in one of the guest rooms.

"Oh, no I can't do that. Especially if you got to sleep on a couch." Dani said politely declining his offer. Hershel grabbed her stuff and walked upstairs. Dani sighed and shook her head, smiling.

Rick and Daryl were talking about where they were going to drop off Randall. Dani noticed that Daryl was earning bigger roles in the group, and she hoped that he didn't think that he didn't matter to anybody. Daryl left all of a sudden, but Dani saw why. Shane was coming, so she moved away from the window. Dani went upstairs to hers and Daryl's room. She sat on the bed and looked around. She didn't think it was right that she and Daryl slept in a bed, but if Hershel was letting her, she'd take it.

Everyone else was reinforcing the windows of the house or helping out in some way and Dani didn't want to feel useless. She walked outside and saw that Rick and Daryl were getting ready to take Randall. T-Dog came running back saying that Randall was gone. Everyone came out and Daryl was searching the inside. Shane walked out of the woods yelling, "Rick." Glenn, Daryl, and Rick followed Shane and Dani was sent back into the house. Dani paced back and forth in her room, waiting for them to come back.

Dani knew something was up the minute Shane walked out of the woods the first time. Randall was too weak to slip out of handcuffs, let alone knock Shane out. Dani knew Shane was up to something and she didn't like it one bit. She saw the tension between him and Rick. Dani looked out the window and saw Daryl and Glenn coming, but she didn't see Rick and Shane. She sat on the bed, waiting. Once Rick got back inside, Dani was going to ask him if he handled Shane. Until then, Dani played on the guitar she borrowed from Glenn.

***Daryl's POV***

Daryl walked back inside with Glenn. He shook his head while he was thinking. It didn't make any sense how Randall was a walker and he didn't have any bites. He died from a broken neck. Daryl went upstairs to check on Dani. She ran up to him and gave him a hug. He put his arm around her and they walked downstairs. They sat down on one of the couches.

"I'm sure Rick handled Shane…" he couldn't say anymore because he heard another gunshot. Lori came up to him and asked him to go look for Rick and Shane.

Daryl walked outside and saw a huge herd of walkers. Everyone stood outside, watching the walkers. Patricia turned off the lights. The groups grabbed guns and were getting ready for a fight. Daryl climbed off the side of the porch and ran to his bike. He pulled to the gate and started shooting walkers. The barn was set ablaze, and Daryl was shooting walkers and worrying about Dani. He drove up to Jimmy and told him to pull towards the barn.

***Dani's POV***

Dani aimed the rifle and shot the walkers. She was sitting in the back of Maggie and Glenn's car.

"Keep it steady!" Glenn yelled. Dani looked through the scope and pulled the trigger; the walker she shot fell to the ground. She watched Daryl ride by on his motorcycle. Dani had to slide from one window to the next every time Maggie turned around so she could shoot. She couldn't see anyone and that worried her. The car all of a sudden came to a stop and walkers surrounded them.

"Get off the farm." Glenn said.

"We can't, what about the others?" Maggie asked.

"Get off the farm, NOW! Maggie, it's gone!" Glenn yelled. A walker hit the window and Maggie screamed. The car backed up and she slammed on the gas. As the car left the farm, Dani looked out the back window, worrying about Daryl and the rest of the group.


	14. Chapter 14

***Daryl's POV***

He heard the screams and rode towards them. Daryl pulled in front of Carol with walkers following her.

"C'mon! I ain't got all day!" Daryl yelled as Carol climbed on. He peeled off with walkers just inches away from them. Daryl drove down the road leading away from the farm. It was a curved dirt road with broken down cars and walkers around each corner. Daryl swerved and dodged all the walkers with ease. He was taking Carol back to the highway, back to where it began.

***Dani's POV***

As they were driving down the road, Dani sat curled up in a ball, leaning against the car door.

"Alright, l-let's circle back to the highway." Glenn said. Maggie was crying and asking if Glenn saw her dad or Beth. Dani saw that Glenn was getting upset and he told Maggie to stop the car. They switched spots so Glenn was driving. Maggie started sobbing and Glenn tried to calm her down. He said he loved her and Maggie stopped crying pretty quickly. Dani looked every which way because she was feeling a little uncomfortable. She thought of Daryl and wondered if he made it.

They pulled back to the highway, following Daryl and Carol. Dani ran out of the car and ran to Daryl. He was barely on his feet when Dani pulled him in for a hug and was kissing his whole face. The whole group looked at them for a second then quickly looked away. Daryl's ears turned red and he slowly pulled Dani off of him. She realized why he pulled her off of him and she gave him an apologetic look. He shook his head and motioned for her to come closer. Daryl grabbed Dani and held her close to the ground (like in the movies) and kissed her.

Dani was smiling like an idiot when Daryl stopped kissing her. Everyone was reunited with their families and asking if anyone else made it. Rick was saying that they had to keep moving and Dani was about to sit on the back of Daryl's motorcycle when Carol sat down. Dani rolled up her sleeve, ready to knock her out when Rick pulled her to the side for a minute.

"I talked to Shane while we were searching and I let him have it. He won't be a problem anymore." Rick said.

"Figured he wouldn't." Dani replied, with sarcasm and dark humor dripping from the comment. Rick nodded and they went their separate ways; Rick towards Hershel's truck and Dani towards Glenn's car.

***Daryl's POV***

He didn't know why he kissed her like that. Something just came up from inside him. Daryl looked behind him, expecting Dani, but all he saw was Carol. She smiled and Daryl started the motorcycle, glad she couldn't hear him sigh in disappointment. Daryl followed after Rick and Glenn followed him and Carol. He didn't know where they were headed but he trusted that Rick knew where he was taking them. Daryl and Carol rode in silence down the road.

***Dani's POV***

Dani looked out the window, gritting her teeth. She was sitting in the backseat next to Hershel and Beth. She _should _have been riding on the back of Daryl's motorcycle, but that bald bitch sat down like the bike was hers. Dani was wearing Daryl's shirt and poncho, which calmed her down a little. She smelled the poncho and closed her eyes, inhaling Daryl's manly smell. Dani pulled the poncho up under her nose and tried to rest a little.

They pulled to the side of an abandoned road. Dani learned that the group was going to stay near a dam for the night. Rick was talking about making a run for gas in the morning. He was trying to put courage into the group with the speech he was giving.

"You know I found Randall, right. He turned but he wasn't bit." Daryl spoke up. Everyone was asking questions when Rick finally spoke.

"We're all infected." He said.

***Daryl's POV***

When Rick told the group what Jenner said back at the CDC, everyone was confused and asking questions. Daryl walked over and stood next to Rick. Rick walked away and Daryl put an arrow in his crossbow and walked into the woods, looking for firewood. He needed time to think and time away from the group. He knew Dani was going to be pissed at him for not saying anything to Carol, and he knew Carol was going to bug him for the rest of the night. Daryl needed a little alone time to clear his head. He wished he had at least one cigarette to calm his nerves.

Daryl came back a while later with a handful of firewood. He and Rick started a fire and everyone sat around it. Daryl sat down next to Dani and Carol sat down next to him. He was staring at the fire when he felt Dani's head lean on his shoulder. He felt her arms wrap around his and he looked down at her.

"We're not safe with him." Carol said. "Keeping something like that from us? You don't need him, he's gonna pull you down."

"No, Rick's done alright by me." Daryl replied.

"You're his henchman, and I'm a burden." Carol said.

***Dani's POV***

_You got that right._ Dani thought as she closed her eyes.

"What do you want?" she heard Daryl ask Carol.

"A man of honor." She said.

"Yeah, well, Rick has honor." Daryl said. He stood up at the sound of crunching leaves. Everyone was getting riled up just because of some animal.

"Do something." Carol said, trying to make herself a burden on Rick, too. Rick was saying that if anyone was leaving that they should leave right then and there.

"You're stayin'? This isn't a democracy anymore." Rick said ending the conversation.


End file.
